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Mr. President, With a heavy heart, Lithuania voted in favour of the resolution. And with a clear understanding of the terrible toll of this unprovoked, imposed war on Ukraine: - more than 20,000 people internally displaced due to the illegal annexation of Crimea; - at least 5,665 people killed, around 2 000 of which since the announcement of cease - fire last September; - nearly14,000 wounded; - some 1.5 million forced to flee their homes. The OHCR is warning that further escalation will prove catastrophic for the 5.2 million people living in the midst of conflict in eastern Ukraine. Since the announcement of Minsk I ceasefire in September 2014, the militants have grabbed at least 550 square kilometres of Ukraine’s territory. And keep on grabbing. Their advances have been buttressed by an ongoing influx of Russian arms and sophisticated weaponry, including under the pretext of “humanitarian” convoys.

In the past few weeks leading to this latest ceasefire, militant attacks expanded towards cities of Mariupol, Kramatorsk, Artemivsk, Schastje, and others.

Even as the drafting of the package of measures for the implementation of Minsk agreements was taking place, reports were incoming of Russian tanks rolling on the Ukrainian soil and more casualties, including among the children.

The Ukrainian city of Debaltseve is under siege even as we speak. Ukraine is holding on, trying to defend a piece of its own land, away from the ceasefire lines established in the Minsk agreements. Heavily armed criminals are continuing their onslaught against Debaltseve and threaten to continue their deadly march, up to Kharkiv and further.

Yes, this Council must speak out in support of the ceasefire. But we know full well that previous ceasefires, whether declared unilaterally by the Ukrainian government or established by the Minsk I agreements, have been repeatedly violated. Even this most recent ceasefire agreement is already being violated as we speak, by Russia-sponsored militants. 

Russian tanks, APCs, howitzers, Grads, and Tornados in the hands of the militants are holding Ukraine’s eastern part captive even as we speak. Only the most naïve can imagine that the militants could have waged an ever expanding war without external help. Without Russia’s direct support, the so-called separatists would have fizzled out, dwindled into nonexistence many months ago. Peace would have been restored, and thousands of lives would have been saved. Instead, Russia has chosen to sponsor and arm and protect them. Russia is a direct party to this conflict, and bears the primary responsibility for the conflict that is tearing into Ukraine’s flesh.

Mr. President,

The package which today’s resolution has endorsed is flawed. Yet it is the only thing we have now.  For it to work, all the parties involved, including Russia, must honour their commitments in full and in their entirety, including the Minsk agreements of September 2014. Minsk I cannot be swept under the carpet. The package of measures which was agreed of 12 February is not and cannot be interpreted as a replacement of September 2014 accords, but only as a set of measures aimed at their implementation.   

We know well what needs to be done. Russian troops and armaments need to be withdrawn from Ukraine’s territory. A viable OSCE-monitored mechanism must be established to monitor the ceasefire- militants must stop blocking their access. Russia must stop supporting illegal militias operating in the eastern part of Ukraine. Ukraine needs to re-establish control of the international border with Russia, without any preconditions. The humanitarian access needs to be secured, and respect for the international human rights and international humanitarian law restored.

All hostages and unlawfully detained persons must be released, including Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko, a former peacekeeper, the only Ukrainian female pilot who served as a peacekeeper in Iraq, illegally held in the Russian Federation, as per the package of measures agreed on February12 in Minsk.

Mr. President,

Peace cannot be achieved without accountability. We have witnessed multiple times elsewhere how impunity breeds more impunity, eventually provoking new cycles of violence. OHCHR reports  have repeatedly pointed to the extent of the serious crimes and abysmal state of lawlessness in the militant-held areas. Only this past weekend photos of the self-proclaimed militant chief Zakharchenko were circulating with beaten POWs, another reminder of the many violations of the international humanitarian law by the militants.      

We want to put on the record our firm conviction that justice and accountability must be part and parcel of the path out of this devastating unprovoked war against Ukraine. The perpetrators of the most serious of crimes- enough to look into the OHCHR reports,  find ample information on that-  including those responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH017, must be held to account. We reiterate our call on Ukraine to complete its accession to the Rome Statute.

Mr. President,

After the devastating horrors of World War II, Europe has shown remarkable will and ability to pursue the path of reconciliation and peace. What started with Franco-German reconciliation/ European Coal and Steel Community became a unique model of reconciliation and integration, which has evolved, over time, into the European Union of today. A model for democracy, peace, prosperity and human rights whose appeal continues to draw European nations eager to join its ranks.

It is reckless and profoundly dangerous to seek to turn the clock back on that spirit of reconciliation, solidarity, and cooperation, which gave Europe -and the world- its longest ever period of peace.

Russia’s continued violations of the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and numerous other agreements to which it is signatory, as well as its attempts to re-draw the internationally recognised borders by force threaten that peace.

In Minsk, the President of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany have recommitted themselves to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We expect that commitment to be respected unconditionally by all, Russia in particular.

We ask the UN to continue its active engagement in seeking a durable solution to this conflict through the good offices, mediation, monitoring of the human rights, and provision of the humanitarian assistance.